


Mint Chocolate Chip

by TBCat



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Ice Cream Parlors, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 06:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18310148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TBCat/pseuds/TBCat
Summary: Mingyu gets a part time job, because work experience is an important part of growing up! Even if he is also trying to balance his college studies.





	Mint Chocolate Chip

**Author's Note:**

> No beta, we die like stans.  
> This was inspired by Mingyu and Seungkwan being the only SVT members with taste; ie they both like Mint Choco Ice Cream.
> 
> Standard disclaimer about RPF being a caricature of media personae, etc etc.

Mingyu walks into Seventeen Flavors on a sunny day in March. Red Velvet songs play on repeat through the store speakers and sunflower decals are decorated along the walls. The store is features a minimum of both floor space and counter space, and behind the cash register is a price board that says, “Featured Flavor! Mint Chocolate Chip”. 

“Hello,” chimes a low voice, “and welcome to Seventeen Flavors Creamery! What can I get you today?” Mingyu jumps and turns around to watch as a man around his age stands up from wiping the glass door of a lonely ice cream cake refrigerator. According to the front door, the store opened an hour ago. 

“I’m here for the opening,” Mingyu says, “the job posted? I mean, I wanted to apply for the job here. Please.” 

“Oh!” the man says, “Well, I’m Boo Seungkwan. Let me grab you the application papers.”

“Kim Mingyu,” Mingyu mutters as Boo circles around behind the counter. The store is small, and every sound seems to echo off the shiny new tiling. 

“Nice to meet you!” Boo’s voice floats out from under the counter. There is a series of loud crash and banging noises. Mingyu didn’t realize the counter cabinets held that much space. “If you’re hired -and we need more workers, so- then I’ll probably be your shift manager!” Boo continues. 

He pops up on the other side of the store with his dark hair in a disarray and a stapled packet crumpled in his hands. Mingyu shuffles over to Boo. “Thank you!” Mingyu says, “Can I fill these out now and turn them in here, uh, Boo-Sunbae?” 

Boo smiles brightly with flushed cheeks. “Yeah, of course! Do you want a scoop of Mint Choco Chip while you’re working?”

* * *

 

Seungkwan walks into Seventeen Flavors to a boom, crash, and clang. A half sheet of frozen ice cream cake slowly and sadly slides across the floor away from where Mingyu clutches his foot in pain. “I left for ten minutes to grab lunch,” Seungkwan says. 

The chalkboard behind the cash register says, “Featured Flavor! Pistachio”. The creamery has lost the shiny newness of the first month after multiple customers. Midday on Tuesday, the store is empty and Seungkwan thought he could safely leave Mingyu unsupervised long enough to buy Simbap for both of them. 

A distorted cartoon mouse made of frosting stares up at Seungkwan from the floor in horror at his foolish thought. “What happened?” Seungkwan asks. 

“Well, a cake order was called in,” Mingyu explains. He’s still sitting on the floor amongst melting ice cream cake. “and when I was moving it from the display case to the reservation freezer, you walked in and scared me, and then I jolted, and bumped my head on the shelf, and then the cake slipped, and,” Mingyu starts whining, “I’m sorry, I really am trying, I’m so sorry!” 

“Hey, hey, don’t worry about it,” Seungkwan tries to speak gently as he carefully picks his way across the floor towards Mingyu. “Let’s clean this up, one bit at a time, and then we can eat lunch together, okay?” 

Mingyu smiles, bright and grateful.

* * *

 

A well muscled man with a lean face bursts into Seventeen Flavors with a garbled yell and flourish of a shiny sword. “It’s mine!” he yells over the recorded sound of the entrance bell. 

Mingyu screams and tries to hide behind the counter. He fumbles his phone out of his apron pockets and quickly texts Boo, “Were beingg robbed by a swordmann!?” 

The man’s face peeks over the counter to look at Mingyu upside down. He drops his phone and bites his tongue to hide his shriek. The stranger’s brown eyes twinkle and he has make up freckles. He doesn’t look like a robber. 

“Hi!” The stranger says, “Where’s Seungkwan?” 

“He’s not here,” Mingyu quickly says, “what do you want?” 

The stranger pouts for a second before baring his teeth. “Stand up!” he says, “I’m Lee Seokmin. I thought this was Seungkwan’s shift; he promised me free ice cream.” 

Mingyu pulls himself up to his feet. He can’t believe Boo didn’t warn him that the store might be held up by a maniac with a sword. “Seungkwan called to say he would be late today. What flavor do you want?” Mingyu tries to ask in his best customer service voice. 

“Oh! You must be ‘tall, dark, and handsome’,” Lee reaches up to pretend to measure Mingyu’s height. “Can I get two bowls of the Featured Flavor, please?” 

The chalkboard behind Mingyu says, “Featured Flavor! Matcha Green Tea,”. Mingyu shakily scoops out the ice cream into the cheap plastic bowls and puts them on the counter for Lee. He can hear his phone buzzing on the floor. 

The barista from the coffeeshop on the other side of the outlet bursts into the store with a yell. “Did you tell Seungkwan?” Kwon asks as he bounces forwards to grab a bowl of ice cream from Lee. Mingyu drops his ice cream scooper and his jaw. 

“Nah,” Lee answers, “‘Tall, Dark, and Handsome’ is the only one working right now. I guess Seungkwan is late?” 

“Aww,” Kwan whines, “Well, let's wait here for him. He’ll be so excited you got the lead part!” Mingyu is pretty sure that Kwon usually works right now.

Mingyu scrambles to pick up and answer his cell phone from the floor. “It’s just my friend!” Boo shouts through the tinny phone speaker, “He auditioned for an  Excalibur musical!”

* * *

 

Wonwoo’s text message reads, “Can I stay at your place for Spring Break?” 

Mingyu chews on his disposable chopsticks across before messaging back, “Sprng Brk is nxt wk??”

“I know,” Wonwoo replies, “but the Upperclassmen dorms are closing and I don’t want to go home…” 

Mingyu has his own flat, and he doesn’t mind buying an extra futon for his best friend. “Yeah, oc! cant wait,” Mingyu says. He turns back to finish eating lunch with Seungkwan.

* * *

 

“His name is Boo Seungkwan,” Mingyu says. The subway stop isn’t too far from the outlet where he works, and half of his friendship with Wonwoo was formed around their summer dog-walking business as kids. “I think he might actually be a year or too younger than me, because his skin is so smooth,” Mingyu rambles as he leads the way to the ice cream store, “but he’s so cool and mature and actually is my shift manager!” Wonwoo isn’t responding, but Mingyu knows he’s listening because he hasn’t pulled out the book he stuffed in his hoodie pocket yet. 

Mingyu holds the door open for Wonwoo. “Hah,” yells Kwon Soonyoung.

“Hyah,” yells Lee Seokmin. 

“KYAH,” yells Boo Seungkwan. The three friends continue singing Orange Caramel in tune to the music playing over the store speakers.

Wonwoo leans into Mingyu’s space as he steps into the store and closes the door. “Why are they singing Orange Caramel?” he asks, “and which one is Boo-nim?” 

The three friends dissolve into an argument over which of them should be center. “They’re probably rehearsing for an audition,” Mingyu explains, “Seungkwan-hyung is really talented. What do you want?”

“Uh, Lime?” Wonwoo asks. he drifts over to a table and pulls out his book. Mingyu joins Lee and Kwon at the counter and waits to be noticed. 

“Mingyu!” Seungkwan finally says with bright cheeks, “you don’t work today?” 

“Nah,” Mingyu explains, “Wonwoo just wanted to check the place out. Can I buy two waffle cones with the Featured Flavor?” 

“Of course, right away,” Seungkwan says, “and don’t worry about paying, ok?” Lee and Kwon are giggling at each other about something. Mingyu doesn’t worry about it. 

The chalkboard behind Seungkwan says, “Featured Flavor! Lime Gelato,”. Mingyu takes extra napkins to the table before grabbing the ice cream, because Wonwoo hates when his books get dirty. 

“So,” Wonwoo says, “because he’s your boss he’s probably waiting for you to make the first move, you know?”

* * *

 

Mingyu changes the store speakers to the recent Nu’est album and Seungkwan grumbles about girl groups being better. Seungkwan still sings along to all the lines of “Sleep Talking”, so Mingyu leaves the music. Then he moves to change the chalkboard, because he can do it if he stretches but Seungkwan would have to get the stool from the back. 

‘Cinnamon Green Apple’ barely fits on the board. “Wonwoo said something silly when he was visiting,” Mingyu says. Seungkwan stopped singing to count the money in the cash register, and Mingyu feels obliged to fill the silence.

“Was it about you?” Seungkwan teases without thought. “Oh, shit, I have to start over now.”

“You deserve it,” Mingyu pouts. He starts wiping the display case, and says “Yes, but not like that, meanie.”

Seungkwan hums in acknowledgment. He’s focused and his tongue is just peeking out of the corner of his mouth. Mingyu continues wiping the glass of the display case. 

“He said you have a crush on me,” Mingyu says. 

“Oh, yeah,” Seungkwan says. 

“You do?” Mingyu asks. “I thought Yeri was your one true love?”

“What?” Seungkwan says. He closes the cash register and visibly retraces the conversation in his head. Seungkwan’s face blushes bright red across his cheeks and up the shell of his ears. “No! I mean,” he says, “I wasn’t listening. I thought you said Wonwoo has a crush on you.” Seungkwan rushes around the back of the counter and moves past Mingyu to unlock the front door. The store doesn’t open for five more minutes. 

“Oh, no,” Mingyu explains, “Um, Wonwoo turning me down in High School was actually how we became friends. I quickly realized we wouldn’t have been a good match, anyway.” Mingyu cuts off his babbling. 

Seungkwan turns around and gives Mingyu a dramatic leer. “Wonwoo turned you down?” he says, “I can’t believe that.” Seungkwan wiggles his eyebrows more than Mingyu realized was possible. 

Mingyu can feel his ears turning bright red. He closes his eyes and cools his face against the glass of the display case, even if it will need to be cleaned again, then. “So does that mean you would say yes?” Mingyu asks. He can see his breath fogging the glass. 

“Excuse me,” Seungkwan says. His voice lacks the usual overabundance of inflection, and doesn’t even sound like a proper question. 

“You wanna go out with me?” Mingyu asks again. His voice cracks. He still can’t take his face off the glass of the display case. 

Mingyu can hear Seungkwan walking behind him. “Ok,” Seungkwan says. Mingyu can hear his smile before Seungkwan’s weight suddenly falls on top of his shoulders. 


End file.
